Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Galatians 5:7

"Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?" — Galatians 5:7 (ASV)

Up to here in this section Paul has been contrasting those who desire to add circumcision to Christianity and true believers who trust Christ alone. Now the contrast changes to a false teacher or teachers, designated as “the one who is throwing you into confusion” (v.10), versus “I” (i.e., Paul, who is teaching correctly).

Paul was fond of using athletic imagery to describe the Christian life, often including himself as a competitor (1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Galatians 2:2; 2 Timothy 4:7). To him life is a race, demanding adherence to rules and discipline if the race is to be completed successfully and a prize obtained. Here he applies the imagery to his converts. The Galatians had begun the race well. They had both assented to certain truths and adopted a Christian lifestyle. In other words, theirs was both a head and a heart religion. This is the full meaning of the phrase “obeying the truth.” In spite of this good beginning, however, something had obviously gone wrong. Someone had hindered them by setting up an obstacle in front of them. In Paul’s analogy, this probably refers to the illegal interference of a runner who cuts in ahead of another and thereby disadvantages that runner. Thus, the situation at Galatia was one in which the Galatians had already ceased, in some measure, to obey the plain truth of the Gospel.